WAR

The Battle of Towton (1461) during the War of the Roses.

11 Fascinating Facts About the War of the Roses

This 30-plus-year period of bloodshed between England's House of Lancaster and the House of York inspired 'Game of Thrones.'

The slang of WWI is still being used today.

20 Slang Terms From World War I

Though it was more than 100 years ago—on April 6, 1917—that the United States entered the First World War, its effect on our language continues.

Portrait of detainnee Tom Kobayashi at Manzanar War Relocation Center, Owens Valley, California, 1943

12 Facts About Japanese Incarceration in the United States

On February 19, 1942, FDR sanctioned the removal of Japanese immigrants and Americans of Japanese heritage from their homes to be imprisoned in camps throughout the country.

Kurt Hutton, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The Disturbing Reason Schools Tattooed Their Students in the 1950s

In 1952, at the height of the Cold War, elementary schools in Lake County, Indiana asked hundreds of students to line up, raise their arms, and get ready for the stabbing pain of a tattoo gun, all in the service of post-apocalyptic blood transfusions.

Rockfleet Castle, which Grace O’Malley used as a base

Grace O'Malley, the Fearless 16th-Century Irish Pirate Queen Who Stood Up to the English

She debated with Queen Elizabeth I, sat at the head of a prosperous pirate empire, and told the English where to go.

General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

When Germany Planned to Airdrop Fake Money to Take Down Great Britain in World War II

To make the banknotes, Nazis relied on forced labor from artists, bankers, and known forgers being held captive in concentration camps.

Karolina Kristensson, the Swedish National Maritime Museums

The Quest to Find—and Save—the World's Most Famous Shipwreck

In 1628, the 'Vasa' sank on its maiden voyage. For the next 300 years, it sat in a watery grave—until one man sparked a monumental effort to salvage it.

The Time the U.S. Government Banned Sliced Bread

During World War II, even America's "greatest thing" wasn't safe.

Julius Neubronner/Jennavecia, Wikimedia Commons // Public domain

When Pigeon Photographers Offered a Real-Life Bird’s-Eye View of the World

An ingenious way to take aerial photos.

When Mr. Rogers Taught Kids About Mutually Assured Nuclear Destruction

The celebrated chldren's host aired segments in 1983 that demonstrated the perils of nuclear war in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

The Time German and Russian WWI Soldiers Banded Together to Fight Wolves

WWI fighters had a lot to fear in battle—but few thought they'd be battling wolves.

11 Facts About Robert the Bruce, King of Scots

Get to know the pony-riding, eel-eating, cave-dwelling rogue who became Scotland's most famous king.

More Than 75 Years Later, Remains of Pearl Harbor Sailors Are Being Returned to Their Homes

Advances in DNA technology have made it possible to identify previously unknown victims.

The Story of Siwash, the Beer-Drinking Duck Who Joined the Marines

The story of how a swashbuckling duck became a sergeant with honors in the United States Marine Corps.

Hajotthu, Wikimedia Commons // Public domain

A 17th-Century Noblewoman's Rare Poems About War-Torn England Can Be Read Online

Hester Pulter broke convention—and the expectations of her gender and class—by writing about science and politics.

Imperial War Museum, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: Armistice

"The war to end war" finally ends.

Indro Montanelli and Mario Cervi, Due Secoli di Guerre, Vol. 7, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.5

WWI Centennial: Allies Triumph In Italy, German Sailors Mutiny

Central Europe fragments while Germany sees the final throes of battle.

8 Things to Know About Crispus Attucks

Among the American Revolution's many heroes, Crispus Attucks is immortalized as the "first to defy, the first to die."

William Rider-Rider, Imperial War Museum, Wikimedia Commons // IWM Non-Commercial License

WWI Centennial: Allies Rebuff German Armistice Offer

The Central Powers are close to giving up.

Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Office of the Chief Signal Officer, National Archives and Records Administration // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: Central Powers In Collapse

Germany and its allies face defeat, with Allied victories including American Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Photographer unknown, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: Brits Victorious At Megiddo

Lawrence of Arabia returns.

10 Things You Might Not Know About the Battle of New Orleans

Here's everything you need to know about the last major engagement in the War of 1812.

The Time 14 Cargo Ships Were Trapped in the Suez Canal ... for Eight Years

The ships moored together and formed a micronation. (It might as well have been an adult summer camp.)

Collier's New Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

WWI Centennial: Americans Attack the St. Mihiel Salient; the Flu Turns Deadly

The Spanish flu epidemic sweeps ever more lethally through war-torn Europe.

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